Rug and method of making same



July 4, 1950 GREENBERG 2,513,559

RUG AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Dec. 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4, 1950 B. A. GREENBERG RUG AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 194e Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED ES PATENT OFF [C E.

RUG AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Benjamin; A. Grecnberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Charm Trcd Mills, Incorporated, Ehicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois. Application December 13, 1946, Serial No. 715,042

8-1Glaims. 1.

This invention pertains to articles of manufacture such as decorative and utilitarian coverings and protective articlessuch, for example, as rugs, mats, toilet seatcovers, bedspreads, draperies, and similar articles; including a base fabric covered on one side with a continuous or a subst'antiallyoverall nap or pile which forms an attractive foundation or background for decorative configurations or designs superimposed upon the photo produce an embossed-like decorative effect by means of animproved'fringe or tape secured in place over the pile-forming face of the rug-or article being formed.

The improved mg or article includes abase fabric, of one or more plies, covered entirely or substantially sowith apile and with borderfor-ming'tufts' or fibers'of yarn or the-like stitched to themarginsof the basefabric. The pile thus formed may be continuous or of uniform design, such as'a waffle pattern, and the'present invention relates primarily to the use of" an improved type of double fringe or tape adapted to have parts thereof cut and unraveled at a predeter mined time so that when the improved fringe or tapeis stitched upon the pile covering along predetermined paths a ball or pompon-li-ke design is produced; to project above the, rug pile and appearing. as thougheach of the balls or pomponswere individually affixed instead of being producedv by the. improved fringe or'tape.

The present. invention. is moreparticularly directed to an improved type of rug or similar article embodying a base-fabric coveredby'a: pile of selected form and design, upon which an im proved ball or pompon-forming fringe or tape is: adapted to be stitched along prescribed paths or lines through the pile and. to the foundation fabric to eventually produce a rug or other article with a pile. covering dominated by the superimposed design of spaced balls or pompous, produc-- ing a novel effect and obviating the independent application of the balls or pompous; by the method heretofore commonly practiced and requiring tedious and concentrated work, excessive time, and thereby materially increasing the cost of the article.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide an improved rug or similar article and a method of making the same" which iseconomical, practical and efficient.

It is also an object of this invention toprovide an improved type of rug or similar article wherein afoundation fabric is covered with a pileto form a background for a superimposed design effected by means of an improved ball or pon pon-forming fringe or tape adapted to be partly out, then secured directly over the pile and" to the foundation fabric and then partially unraveled t'o produce a spaced ball design upon the pile background.

It is a further object of this inventiontoprovide an improved double type of yarn fringe or tape including removable substantially parallel stitched chains connecting transverse yarn groups which are also connected by means of integral yarn links whereby the fringe or tape may be secured to a pile-like background or foundationto hide the connecting links in the pile and produce-a superimposed design or spaced balls or pompous when the stitched chains have been removed.

Still'another object of the invention-is-theproduction of a ball design forming fringe or tape, including link connected transverse yarn loops temporarily connected to one another by av plurality of removable'stitchings along opposite longitudinalmargins of the fringe or tape, whereby spaced ball-like designs may be quickly and conveniently superimposed upon pile covered foundations to produce rugs or the like of attractive and effective appearance having a pile-on-pile effect. I

Still another object of the invention is-to provide an: improved type of ball or pomponeformingtape or fringe readily applicable for producing spaced ball-like designs upon a base fabric as well as over pile-covered: foundations.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a ball-producing fringe or tape having inner and outer stitchings on opposite margins thereof to temporarily hold link connected groups of yarn loops in placebefore the loops are transversely cut to the outside of the inner stitchings while the inner portions of the loop groups are permitted to remain connected until the loopgroups and the connecting links thereof are permanently secured to a fabric foundation or the like, after which theinner stitchings are removed to produce spaced' balls or pompons forming an embossed-like design on the foundationfabric consisting of either a plain: or a pilecovered'material.

Other and further important objects and features of this inventiton will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

on the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a ball or pompon-producing'tape or fringe'embodying the principles of this invention, illustrated in association with a double-cutter mechanism adapted for cutting transversely through the outer portions of loop groups of yarn forTemOV- ing the bight portions of the loops, together with the outer retaining stitchings, to prepare the fringe prior to the stitching of the same longitudinally along a center line upon a pile covered or plain base fabric for producing a superimposed ball or pompon-like design on the article being made.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a section of a pile covered foundation with a portion of the pile removed to show the base fabric to more clearly disclose a portion of the cut fringe stitched thereto, showing the opposite sides of the fringe moved upwardly toward one another by the fastening stitches and also illustrating the inner stitchings partly unraveled to release the cut strands to permit the cut strands from opposite sides of each group to move toward one another or cluster to form ball-like puffs or pompons in spaced relation to one another along predetermined paths to form a selected design superimposed upon the pile foundation of the article being produced.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a corner portion of a rug or article produced by means of th improved ball-forming fringe stitched upon the pile of a foundation fabric and within a border portion to produce an improved type of rug or article wherein a ball or pompon design is produced to project above the pile of the rug or article.

Figure 4 is a fragmentar sectional view taken substantially along the line IV--IV of FigureZ through the rug pile to one side of one of the balls or pompons and also diametrically through another of the balls or pompons tolmore clearly illustrate the construction of the improved rug or article.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a rug showing the foundation fabric and illustrating the stitching for producing the pile on the opposite side of the rug, the border-producing stitches and also the path of the-stitches for securing the ball or pompon-producing design superimposed upon the pile on the upper side of the rug.

As shown on the drawings:

This invention relates to pile type articles of manufacture such as rugs, bath mats, toilet seat covers, draperies, bedspreads and other articles adapted to be produced on a foundation fabric uniformly covered with a pile or weft to form a soft background upon which is superimposed a selected design formed of yarn balls or pompons resulting from the use of an improved type of ball forming fringe or tape stitched or secured along predetermined lines upon the pile background or foundation of the article produced.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of an improved double-edge type of fringe, preferabl machine manufactured out of string or yarn, which is looped transversely with the looped groups forming sections which are integrally connected by chain-like links of I the yarn or string along a center line of the fringe between opposite rows of removable chain stitchings or the like.

Referring to Figure 1, the yarn or string, out of which the fringe or tap is made, is transversely looped to provide groups of loops I which project back and forth beyond a longitudinal center line of the fringe and terminate at the transverse cen- 4 ter line in groups of strands which are waved to form longitudinal connecting links 2 between the loop groups.

As the loop groups and the connecting links are formed they are permanently held assembled by means of spaced longitudinal central stitchings 3. Simultaneously with the forming of the loop groups, the connecting links and the center line stitching, the outer portions of the yarn loops 1 are traversed by substantially parallel removable inner chain-stitches 4 and outer chain-stitches 5. While the inner and outer chain-stitches are preferably formed by single thread chain-stitching, it is to be understood that other removable temporary types of inner and outer stitchings may be used.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 1, the outer and inner chain-stitches 5 and 4, respectively, form connections between the spaced groups of yarn loops, said connections being disposed on opposite sides of the ,fringe links 2. It will thus be noted that the improved fringe or tape, which is the primary medium essential for the production of a uniformly spaced ball or pompon decoration upon the weft or pile of a rug .or other article of manufacture, is preferably made of transe versely looped strands of yarn arranged in spaced groups connected by integral zig-zag or wavy yarn links, with the bight portions of theloops trans.- versely stitched longitudinally of the fringe and on both sides of the longitudinal center line of said fringe by means of selectively removable inner and outer chain-stitch seams, portions of which also act as temporary connecting means between the groups of yarn loops.

One of the main features of the invention is the provision of an improved method for pro,- ducing an article such as arug in which a base fabric is first covered by an overall or continuous weft or pile to form a background or foundation for embossed or raised decorations to be superimposed thereon, in the form of equidistantly spaced balls or pompons adapted to be produced by an improved fringe or tape, the securing of which along predetermined lines determines the design effect produced on the pile background or base. The embossed ball-likesuperposed designs may or may not be surrounded by a rug border or cut tuft edge to form'a covering and a finish for the edges of the rug base fabric and the margins of the pile covering the-same.

After the double type ball or pompon forming fringe or tape has been produced, with the yarn loop groups and the integral connecting links fastened together by means ofthe central stitching seams 3, and by the removable chain-stitched scams 4 and 5 the improved fringe or tape is ready for a cutting treatment .to prepare the fringe so that it may be permanently superimposed upon a plain or pile-covered foundation. After the cutting treatment the fringe is secured along a selective decorative configuration over the pile or weft of an article such as a rug formed of chenille crother selected material to produce a projecting ball design superimposed on a continuous or overall chenille pile or on a waffle-type chenille covering applied toa fabric'backing to produce a finished product such as illustrated in FigureB. U

To condition the ball-forming fringe for the making of a rug or other pile covered article, the fringe is fed into a cutter mechanism of a selected standard type,- illustrated in Figure 1 and including a drivenshaft .6 having cutter disks I mounted thereon in spaced parallel relationso that when thefringe. isfed through-the cutter mechanism the cutter disks; 1- will' cut. transversely across the outer portions of the yarn loops l. closely adjacent-the inner side. of the outer scams. 5; to. thereby sever or out off they bightportions 8' of the loops I along the cut' edges 9-, as illustrated. in Figure 1, to form cut. strands projecting from opposite margins-of the cut-fringe to subsequently serve as. a: means for. producing.- equidistantly spaced; strand clusters. as hereinafter more; fully-described.

The. cut fringe; in the form illustrated. in the, lower portion of Figure 1- beneathzthe. shaft 6;. is; now ready to be: applied? by stitching; to. a rug foundation, while the connecting chain-stitch. seams: 5, with. the. cut-off bightuportions'. 8' still attached thereto. are discarded: as; waste: mate'- rial; Theseichain-stitch seams '5 act t'o hol'd'the bightportions 8' attached-thereto,- thereby pre-- venting the same from scattering and flying aroundin the factory to makel a mess.

To forman article of -manufacture such as arug; with an upwardly projecting decorative design" of spacedballs or pompons'over apile' background; av base fabri'c'or'backing sheet l -of one or more plies of canvasorthe like is out to a desired shape andsize, such as the rectangularshaped'rugillustrated fragmentarily in Figured. The basef'abric |-0=may be of a selectedgrade of" canvas, duck, or other strong suitable foundation material upon which the pile or weft-forming tape is securedalong thelines of stitching II" to substantially uniformly cover one face of the base fabric l-fl withstrands or tufts l2; The strands or tufts [2 maybe produced by any standard -method'to prov-idea pile coveringon the base fabric, and said pile covering maybe formed. of chenille, wool yarn; or any other'suitable material, eitheras a continuous pile'covering'or, if preferred; a waffle-like pile covering such as illustrated in- Figures 2 and 3'.

The edges or margins of the'base' fabric and the pile covering may be covered or finishedlby means of atuftedborderpr edging? l'3' in which the; strands maybe of the samelength as. the strands forming the 'rug; pile, ,or'the border-forming tuft strands may be longer than the pileformingstrands to form a raised finishing border for the rug.

It is to be understoodthat anysuitable type of pile covering andborder may be produced on-the rug base fabric to provide a suitable background for setting off an embossed or upwardly projecting design upon the pile background by means of the improved ball or pompon-forming. fringe or'tape of the type illustrated in Figure I'.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 5, the rugborden 13' is produced by two or more rows of parallel stitching H;

To produce the ball or pompon design upon the pile background the cut tape superimposed" upon the pile backgroundof the rugiis secured' along av path of selected configuration by means of a longitudinal center. stitching I.5;.as shown in Fig.-- ure 2; The fringe attachin stitching. [5. applied between the permanent longitudinal central stitchings 3 of the fringe notonly traverses thegroups of'yarn loopsor strands butalsocrosses the waved or zigez'ag links z of the fringe. The ball-forming'fringe, when thus secured inplace over the pile. of the.rug,,securely holds-the yarn groups. in spaced connected relation with the waved links 2' substantiallyburied between the. strands-or tuftsrof. the rug pile I2 so. that in the finished ruglsorproduce'd the connecting links are not. normally visible;

As clearly illustrated in: Figure-2 the out-ballforming fringe having theinner chains-stitchings 4: still: in: place serves to hold; the cut strandsof each-yarn groupinxplace while'the-fringe is being stitched over the pile and to the :basefabric of the rug. The fringesecuring stitching I5 is applied in such manner thata. desired." design of. the ball decoration iszproduced. In the present showing.- the stitching l5v as; illustrated in Figure 5.- is applied? inv transversely and longitudinally crossing lines, while shorterportionsof the ballforming; fringe arerapplied' with diagonally crossing lines of stitching l5=inisubstantially the mid dle-lportions of the. squares .formedby' the trans-- verse' andllongitudinal lines of stitching l 5.

The ball-forming fringe thus applied. to the pile covered: rug, will according-ly-producei'an em- .bossed orv pompon-like design uponzthe pile background; as illustrated in; Figure 3 in su-chamanher that the links. 2! of: the fringe are su bst'antiallyv hiddendn the tufts ofthe pile. Afterthe ball-forming; fringehas been stitched in place as above des'cribed to f ollovv' a prescribed: line of design,yt-he next step in themethodiofi-producing thev finished product is. to. have; an operator un-- ravel" the inner chain-stitchings 4,. thereby re leasingthe'cut strands of each group. Thereleased strand: halves on: opposite sides of the stitching l5 are thustpermittedto move upwardly toward: one; another. to form equidistantly spaced yarn clusters. to. produce the: upwardly projecting decorativeballs. or pompons [6, the. lower supporting ends. of which areburiedinthe' strands of the rug pile. l2, to. produce adecorative ball or pompon design upon the rug pile' and giving the impression-thatthesballssor pompons are individually applied. on the-pile background and within the. border' l3 of the rug.

After the tuft or ball-formin fringe i stitched: or secured to the i foundation fabric I0 and: over the pile l=2, along desired' paths 1 to produce a .se-- lecteddesign or motif. of: the balls. or pompons? upon the pile background,. and aftertl'ie. removal. of the: inner chain stitchings 42, the rug oroth'er: article-being; produced" is ready for the-final: step in. the method: The final step: consists of subjecting the pile rugiwith thede'corative pompons thereon to the action of; steam tosoften and fluff the=yam strands forming; the: pile l2: as well. as the: cut strands. forming the; balls or: pompons: I 63' tolproduce the desired: soft, fluffy pile; covering with the: ball design" projecting: upwardly there.- from.

The improved method" of: producing a rugv or other: pile-like article briefly. consistsofrcovering a.

base'fabric witha pile: covering and.with a tufted;

border-5;. if desired,v then: cutting transversely through groupstof yarn. loops of. thefringesito In. the: formation of rugs. or. other articles: of the type referred to, the. rug; pile;v the. border. and? the: embossed:v pompons. design; superimposed on;

75 the pile may all Ibe'of the' 'same'coloryor the colors of the various portions-of'the rug may be of different selected color combinations to produce the effects desired.

In accordance with the foregoing description it will be noted that an improved type of rug or similar article of manufacture may be quickly and inexpensively produced by means of an improved ball orpompon-forming fringe of a type which may readily be applied over the pile of an article to produce a finished product with a pile background having a decorative design projecting upwardly from the pile, which design is formed by equidistantly spaced balls or pompons adapted to be applied in grouped relationship but giving the appearance of being individually affixed.

While a ball'design-forming fringe for use on pile rugs has been described to include the preliminary step of severing the bight portions of the fringe loop groups before the fringe is secured upon the pile or base fabric of a rug to cause the formation of balls or pompons upon release of the inner stitchings of the fringe to produce designs of balls or pompons upon the rug pile, it is to be understood that the improved ball-forming fringe may be constructed to provide decorative balls formed of uncut loops; An improved fringe for the purpose of forming 100p balls as describedmay'omit the outer stitchings and the cutting operation on the loop groups. With a fringe of this type the fringe may be stitched along a center line upon the pile of a rug base fabric to bury the fringe links in the rug pile and permitting the opposite portions of the stitched loop, groups to move upwardly toward one another. The single chain-stitchings on each of the longitudinal margins of the fringe may then be unraveled or removed to permit the released loops to intermingle, to form decorative balls or pompons to project upwardly from the pile of the rug.

Itwill of course be understood that various details of construction orchanges in the steps of the method of producing a rug or the like may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this inv'ention,and it is therefore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pompon-forming fringe comprising a fringe body consisting of yarn looped back and forth transversely of the body to form spaced groups of yarn loops with portions of the yarn diverted from opposite sides of each group to form narrow connecting yarn links joining the loop groups along the longitudinal center lineof the fringe, central longitudinal stitching crossing the loop groups and the strands of the narrow yarn links to hold the loop groups and the links in position, inner stitches removably secured only across the yarn loops of said loop groups on opposite sides ofthe links and spaced therefrom to temporarily hold the yarn loops in place, andv outer stitches also'removably secured only across the yarn loops of the loop groups on opposite sides of the links and spacedtherefrom to the outside of the inner stitches to temporarily hold the loop groups connected in spaced relationship.

2. In an article of manufacture, a pomponforming fringe comprising alternately arranged groups of oppositely projecting yarn loops and integral yarn connecting links permanently held together by longitudinal central stitchings, and a plurality of completelyremovable means-spaced" from thecbnnecting i nks and forming temporary of manufacture such as rugs, draperies and the like, said fringe comprising a body constructed of alternating groups of oppositely directed yarn loops and yarn links integrally connecting said groups, a central seam stitched across the loop groups and longitudinally of said links to permanently hold the same in position with respect to one another, inner chain-stitch seams spaced from the links'on opposite sides of the central seam and removably stitched only across the loop groups and forming'inner temporary connecting chains between said loop groups, and outer chainstitch seams spaced from the links and also removably stitched only across the loop groups and forming outer temporary connecting chains between the loop groups.

4. A ball or pompon-forming decorative fringe comprising a body constructed of alternating groupsof yarn loops and yarn links forming a continuous yarn structure, a central seam stitched across the loop groups and longitudinally of the links to permanentlyhold the same in position with respect to one another, and inner and outer chain-stitch seams spaced from opposite sides of the links on opposite sides of the central seam and removably stitched-only across the yarn loops -and providing temporary connecting chains between said loop groups, said outer chain-stitch seams removable prior to the use of the fringe by cutting off the bight portions of the yarn loops and discarding the outer chain.-

stitch seams withthe out off bight portions still attached thereto.

5. A ball or pompon-forming decorative fringe comprising 'a body constructed of alternating transverse yarn loop groups and integral longituclinal' yarn connecting links, a central seam stitched across the loop groups and longitudinally of the links to permanently hold the loop groups and the connecting links in position with respect to one another, and inner and outer chain-,-

by unraveling after the cut fringe has been secured in place upon a supporting fabric to form links connected by decorative balls or pompons thereon out of the cut and released strands of the loop groups.

6. A fringe comprising 'abody constructed of alternating transverse yarn loop groups and.

longitudinally disposedsinuous yarn links integrally connecting said groups, a main seam transversely crossing the loop groups and longitudinally traversing the links to secure the loop.

groups and the links in permanent alignment, and completelyremovable side seams spaced from opposite sides of the links'and on opposite sides of the main'seam and forming a plurality of temporary connecting'c'hains between each pair of loop groups free from contact with and on opposite sides of said links. v

7. A' ball or pompon-forming-fringe comprising a fringe body consisting of spaced yarn 100p groups, sinuous yarn links integrally connecting the ends of adjacent loop groups, central longitudinal stitching crossing the loop groups and longitudinally traversing the sinuous links to hold the loop groups and the links in position, and a plurality of spaced substantially parallel inner and outer securing means spaced from opposite sides of the links and releasably connecting the loop groups and free from contact with said links.

8. The method of ornamenting a marked pile fabric which comprises sewing a plurality of a1- ternately connected yarn links and looped groups of yarn with center stitches and also sewing spaced inner and outer stitches transversely across the bight portions of the loops to form a fringe, cutting the looped groups transversely between the inner and outer stitches and removing the outer stitches and cut-off bight portions of the loops, superimposing the remaining fringe REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,446,808 Moore Feb. 27, 1923 2,334,202 Kanzow Nov. 16, 1943 2,379,085 Kahn June 26, 1945 2,414,198 Greenberg Jan. 14, 1947 

